Release No. 045-15

Contact:

Hakim Fobia (202) 690-0488

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2015 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed three producers and four industry representatives to serve on the Peanut Standards Board. Six members will serve on the board through June 30, 2017. A seventh member will fill a current vacancy through June, 2015.

The Peanut Standards Board is made up of 18 members representing the Southeast Region, which covers Alabama, Georgia and Florida; the Southwest Region, covering Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico; and the Virginia-North Carolina Region. One-third of the board is appointed each year.

Selected were producer Martin L. McLendon of Leary, Ga. and industry representative Elizabeth Kaye Smith of Cumming, Ga. to represent the Southeast Region and producer Marshall Wayne Baker of Portales, N.M. and industry representative Byron Charles Warnken of Pleasanton, Texas to represent the Southwest Region. Producer James Wilson Mason of Harrellsville, N.C. and industry representative Kathryn Olivia Swinson of Mount Olive, N.C. will represent the Virginia-North Carolina Region. James Carlton Gray, Jr. of Courtland, Va. was selected to fill an industry representative vacancy for the Virginia-North Carolina Region, and that appointment ends June 30, 2015.

The Peanut Standards Board is authorized under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. USDA consults with the board to establish or change quality and handling standards for domestically produced and imported peanuts. USDA is scheduling and will soon announce the date of the full board’s next meeting.

USDA encourages board membership that reflects the diversity of the U.S. peanut industry. All eligible women, minorities, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to seek nomination for a seat on the Peanut Standards Board.

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